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WMCA Integrated Settlement Programme Board
WMCA Integrated Settlement Programme Board
Summary of the first Integrated Settlement
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has:
- Delivered well – Seven outcomes rated as green and three as amber; 71% spent in-year and a further 28% 'accrued' or contractually committed.
- Used I/S flexibilities to better meet outcomes especially in housing.
- Continued on its transformation journey, with the ongoing creation of a Strategy Unit and Portfolio Management Office to support future strategy development and delivery (Note: The ongoing readiness check recommendations have now been integrated within the transformation programme).
- Worked closely with local authority partners in policy and delivery.
Local Growth and Place
- Our business advice has been refined through a hub and spoke delivery model, ensuring all businesses have an equal level of support regardless of their location within the West Midlands.
- This year, the WMCA has focused on increasing medium- and high-intensity business support, with 48% of support cases falling into these categories.
- Future business support activities will be delivered primarily through the West Midlands Growth Company as we increase focus on supporting businesses with the highest growth potential.
- Funding has been allocated to sustain delivery of employment support through multipurpose employment hubs Local Authority areas.
- The Investment Zones programme continues to deliver substantial progress across its key projects, with major milestones achieved in design, planning, and partnership development.
Outcome 1: Boost local economic prosperity and living standards through improved business productivity (Green).
Outcome 2: Deliver the infrastructure needed to support place-based growth (Green)
| UI | Indicator | End of SR target | Current performance |
| 1.1 | Number of supported businesses that have increased productivity. | N/A | N/A |
| 1.2 | Supported businesses demonstrating improved practice | 275 | 590 |
| 1.3 | Jobs created by MCA interventions in WMCA priority sectors | 995 | 2,925 |
| 1.a | Businesses supported: Total number of business assists | 4,275 | 10,117 |
| 1.b | Residents accessing employment support activity: Number of engaged residents accessing relevant employment activity | 2,740 | 8,200 |
| 2.1 | Additional floorspace unlocked because of intervention | N/A | 0 |
| 2.a | Completion of development / enabling work to unlock land for development: Progress against Programme Plans | N/A | Milestones met for 25/26 |
Local Transport
- Although mode share has decreased, patronage has been increasing. The data suggests that walking and travel by car have also increased affecting the overall mode share reported for bus.
- We expect there to be ongoing challenges with bus patronage and punctuality targets as we enter the MY period. Real-time data from ITO, BODS and other sources is being analysed to monitor punctuality, identify delay causes and target hotspot improvements working with operators and local authorities.
- Marketing campaigns and incentives have supported patronage. With BSIP incentives ending, work is underway to assess their impact and shape future approaches.
- The implementation of bus franchising from 2027 onwards is central to our strategy for improving outcomes and a new WM bus strategy is being developed.
- Targets were met for Active Travel and LEVI programmes and delivery is commencing.
- Building on the Rosewell Review, we are developing an investment process for use of Transport for City Regions funding, with allocations due to be confirmed in the autumn.
Outcome 3: Improved public transport, especially bus services, in the WMCA area (Amber).
Outcome 4: Healthier and greener transport in the WMCA area (Green).
| UI | Indicator | End of SR target | Current performance |
| 3.1 | % mode share of trips made by bus | 7% | 5.9% |
| 3.2 | Bus patronage (Millions of boardings per year) | 238.36m | 246.5m |
| 3.3 | % total of all bus passengers very and fairly satisfied with bus journey | 78% | 81% |
| 3a | Bus punctuality | 80% | 73.23% |
| 3bi | Personal security on the bus network: % satisfaction | 75% | 73% |
| 3bii | Personal security on the bus network: crime rate per million boardings | 17 | 17 |
| 3c | Satisfaction of disabled passengers | 76 | 77 |
| 4.1 | % change in active travel taken by walking, wheeling and cycling | N/A | N/A (25-26 data unavailable) |
| 4ai | New / improved Active Travel network delivered : Km | N/A | 26 (2020-25) |
| 4aii | New / Improved Active Travel network delivered: Progress | 75% comp. preliminary design | 76% |
| 4b | Provision of HMG-subsidised EV supply equipment and charging devices | Delivery plan w/suppliers | N/A |
| 4c | Bus fleet emissions: % of bus fleet vehicles that is zero emission at tailpipe | 20% | 20% |
Adult Skills
- Statutory entitlement delivery has been robust with a year-on-year increase in starts in these programmes. English and Maths delivery was particularly successful with a near 100% realisation of the identified pipeline.
- While performance was slightly less than the stretch target of 20,800, we have maintained and exceeded previous years’ delivery totals in the context of significant pressures on funding and provider capacity.
- As discussed at the December Programme Board, longer, higher-quality - and consequently more expensive – L3 programmes have been prioritised.
Outcome 6: Reduce the number / proportion of residents with no qualifications (Green)
Outcome 7: Increase the number / proportion of working-age residents qualified Level 3 or above (Amber)
| UI | Indicator | End of SR target | Current performance |
| 6.1 | Reduce the proportion of residents with no qualifications | N/A | 7.7% |
| 6.2 | Achievement rate of those starting an entry, level 1 or level 2 qualification | N/A | 80.2% |
| 6ai | Number of starts: against the statutory entitlements for English, Maths, Digital Skills and L2 statutory Quals | 20,800 | 19,279 |
| 6aii | Number of starts: Those undertaking language acquisition training (ESOL) | 20,000 | 22,577 |
| 7.1 | Increase the proportion of residents qualified at Level 3 or above | N/A | 64.6% |
| 7.2 | Completion rate of those undertaking a level 3 course | N/A | 22.1% (in-year) |
| 7ai | Number of starts in a level 3 programme | 14,200 | 9,812 |
| 7aii | Number of starts in priority sectors | 9,500 | 7,296 |
Employment Support
- Strong progress has also been made in mobilising the Connect to Work programme despite early delays.
- While the amber rating reflects performance against the 25/26 target, delivery across all seven constituent authority areas is maturing for this new programme, and we are confident with the overall performance trajectory.
- In WMCA, Connect to Work is delivered through a Local Authority-led, collaborative model that enables genuinely place-based supported employment. The integration of C2W within existing provision 'hides the wiring for residents', allowing them to transition more smoothly between offers and strengthening referral pathways, including clear and effective routes into C2W for young people during the first year of delivery.
*The current position reflects a delay in start of delivery rather than under performance.
Outcome 10: Disabled residents, residents with long-term health conditions, and other agreed disadvantaged groups with complex barriers are supported to sustain good work through delivery of supported employment (Amber)
| UI | Indicator | End of SR target | Current performance* |
| 10.1 | Share of total programme starts to achieve first earnings | 19% (172) | 10% (77) |
| 10.2 | Share of out of work participant starts to achieve a lower threshold job outcome | 6% (48) | 4% (34) |
| 10.3 | Share of out of work participant starts to achieve a higher threshold job outcome | 2% (16) | 1% (3) |
| 10.4 | Share of in work participants to sustain employment in line with a higher threshold job outcome | 27% (38) | 2% (3) |
| 10.5 | Share of in work retention participants to retain employment for 26 weeks | 20% | N/A |
| 10a | Programme starts- Share of profiled programme starts to achieve a programme start | 950 | 884 |
| 10b | Provision of supported employment: IPS / SEQF fidelity assessments | Completion of annual fidelity assessments | Completed |
Housing
- The WMCA Housing Programme delivered a highly successful year in 2025/26, achieving and surpassing all key outcome measures associated with the Integrated Settlement and the wider consolidated Housing Fund.
- The continued strengthening of programme leadership, assurance, and delivery processes has underpinned a step-change in performance, enabling WMCA to accelerate housing delivery across the region despite ongoing market volatility.
- A core driver of success has been the flexibilities unique to the IS, which allowed WMCA to vary intervention levels, adjust funding structures and tailor grant support to differing site conditions, rather than applying a uniform intervention rate. These flexibilities enabled several complex or otherwise stalled schemes to proceed by addressing viability pressures caused by inflation, construction cost volatility and a tightening development finance market.
Outcome 5: Increased supply of the infrastructure and quality housing needed by communities (Green)
| UI | Indicator | End of SR target | Current performance |
| 5.1 | Number of new homes started | N/A | 2,068 |
| 5.2 | Unlocked housing capacity in FY25/26 measured via contracts agreed between WMCA and funding recipients | 1770 | 2,149 |
Buildings Retrofit
- Milestones for the Retrofit programme are on track and stakeholders remain confident that outcome targets can be met (and in some cases exceeded).
- Total grant contracted in year 1 of the domestic retrofit programme was £76.56m and we have increased the forecast for the number of private homes. Significant capital grant claims now in progress.
- The two-stage bidding process for GRs/stakeholders has proven successful, by allowing them to carry out initial surveys and assessments in order to establish more detail surrounding actual measures and associated costs. This has resulted in better detailed stage 2 bids greatly assisting in establishing a more efficient capital works programme moving forward.
- The public sector decarbonisation programme (PSDS) is progressing well and stage 2 bids are in the process of being evaluated for both LAs and Non-LAs.
Outcome 8: Reduction in direct carbon emissions from domestic buildings, with reduced fuel poverty gaps for treated households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty (Green)
Outcome 9: Reduction in direct carbon emissions from public sector buildings (Green)
| UI | Indicator | End of SR target | Current performance |
| 8.1 | Reduction in direct carbon emissions from domestic buildings upgraded (modelled) | 268 Kt C02e (for 3-year period) | On track GRs currently evaluating to include in monthly reports |
| 8a | Number of social homes with a preinstallation Energy Efficiency Rating of D-G upgraded to C or above as a result of upgrades: Improved energy efficiency ratings | 10,700 (for 3- year period) | Ahead of delivery trajectory – 779 homes completed |
| 8b | Number of private low-income / fuel poor households in a property with a pre-installation Energy Efficiency Rating of D-G upgraded to C or above as a result of upgrades: Improved energy efficiency ratings | 1,500 (for 3- year period) | 33 homes completed and overall forecast has been increased |
| 8c | Accumulative annual household bill savings, modelled from EPC data | £197m over 2025-2069 (3- year target) | On track GRs currently evaluating to include in monthly reports |
| 9.1 | Reduction in direct carbon emissions from public sector buildings upgraded | 3.6 Kt CO2e (per year from 2028/29) (for 3-year period) | On track GRs currently evaluating to include in monthly reports |
Intended roll forward of grant
*Permission granted to roll forward funding in Dec 2025
| Pillar | Quantum ‘unspent’ / not accrued by year end | Uncommitted / uncontracted spend by year end | Rationale |
| Local Growth and Place* | £4.02m | £0.1m | The variance is driven primarily by the UKSPF programme, following the WMCA Board’s March 2026 decision to grant delivery partners a 3–6 month extension. |
| Local Transport | £16.97m | £1.5m | Around £15.4m of the underspend relates to Active Travel schemes (capital and revenue), where funding agreements are already in place. A further £1.5m relates to EVPC, where progress was slowed by the late receipt of grant funding in 2025/26. |
| Adult Skills | £1.14m | £0m | Some programmes operate on an academic-year cycle, resulting in spend falling into the early months of 2026/27. For example, in respect of Bootcamps, although all delivery will be completed and committed by March 2026, the programme runs over 18 months and outcome-based payments are scheduled between April and September 2026. |
| Housing and Regeneration* | £4.26m | £0m | Some schemes, whilst contracted in 2025/26, will enter the delivery phases in 2026/27 where the actual grant drawdown and spend is expected. The revenue underspend will support the programme into 2026/27 as delivery progresses. |
| Retrofit* | £0m | £0m | The programme is being managed as a consolidated three-year programme. Delivery has now commenced across the programme with Capital works well underway. |
| Employment support* | £1.36m | £0m | As per the delivery plan/ model of the programme agreed with the DWP, £1.3m of committed funding is to be delivered in 2026/27. |
| TOTAL | £27.8m | £1.6m |
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Paper recommendation 3: Confirm that WMCA can carry over all underspend from FY25-26 into FY26-27 (~£28m)